12 Ways to Cultivate Your Happiness!

What is Happiness? Though most of us don’t need a formal definition for happiness, here are two definitions that resonated with me:

The experience of joy, contentment, or positive well-being, combined with a sense that one’s life is good, meaningful, and worthwhile.” -Sonja Lyubomirsky, Positive Psychology researcher

“I don’t expect to always be happy, I simply accept what is. And that acceptance is key. This is what self-love is all about, really, acceptance and the ability to love yourself right where you are.” -Mastin Kipp, Author

How to CULTIVATE Happiness

Ok. Now you know a few definitions, but how do you FIND happiness? How do you get there? It’s about CULTIVATING the happiness within. It’s not a destination. YOU have the ability to develop and nourish happiness within you. Last month, I promised to share some tips and TOOLS on how to do this, so here they are!!!

+ Get Curious to Get Clear: Get to know yourself… ASK questions! What is it that you want in your life? Where do you want to be? How would you define happiness? What does it mean for you?

+ Go Inward & Let Go: What do you need to let go of? It’s important to SHED things that no longer serve you like toxic relationships, negative habits, or obsessive worry, guilt, or regret. The first step is to acknowledge them. Then, let go and trust that great things will fill that void.

+ Engage in Meaningful Activities: What do you need to do to get a sense of accomplishment, a sense of fulfillment and PURPOSE in your life?

+ Do Things You Love: What INSPIRES you? When are you the happiest? Restructure your life, so you can do more of these activities. What can you let go of from your calendar, so you can make more room for this?

+ Take a Pause & Be Present: Be STILL. Be calm. What brings you inner peace? Pay attention to your thoughts, feelings, and external circumstances. Notice if you’re focusing on what hasn’t worked and begin to FOCUS on what HAS worked and what you HAVEaccomplished (even the little things).

+ Practice Kindness: It feels good to be kind and help out, doesn’t it?! The more you EXPRESS kindness and love, the stronger it becomes within and the more it catches on with others.

+ Practice Self-Compassion: Be more GENTLE, more forgiving, more accepting with yourself. See things from a larger perspective.

+ Find Your Allies & Build Relationships: I know you know this, but I’ll say it again: Surround yourself with people who UPLIFT and support you… Please!

+ Give yourself permission to be human: Remember that you can experience painful emotions. You don’t have to feel perfectly happy all the time. ALLOW yourself to feel your feelings, and then choose: do I want to continue giving my energy to this anger, fear, or sadness, or do I choose to give my energy to finding solutions, alternatives, and new perspectives?

+ Get Physical: Like Aristotle said, “Happiness is a state of activity,” so get MOVING! Exercise is a quick happiness booster.

+ See the humor: Laughter unleashes oxytocin in our bodies, which can help boost our well-being. Create moments where LAUGHTER is involved. Get those facial muscles moving!

+ Choose Happiness:ACCEPT happiness and joy into your life.

You have options, now what? All of these tools take PRACTICE. And yes, you will most likely experience painful emotions along the way, but the more you practice activities like these in your life, the quicker you’ll be able to BOUNCE BACK and tap into the happiness within.

While you’re practicing these tools, if you live in or near Miami, come check out my last FREE workshop of the month to start cultivating more inner peace & happiness in your life!

With love & joy,

Inés

more about inés

My name is Inés, and I am a joy strategist and transformational coach for go-getters and hearts ready to get unstuck and live the life they truly desire. I help you heal old wounds and replace sabotaging patterns with new pathways to reduce your fear and silence your inner critic.

My ultimate joy is dark chocolate with sea salt and almonds! All I want to do is travel, dine out, have heart to heart conversations, and dance the night away.